


The Measure of Things

by lannisterslioness



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, commitment issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-05-22 10:27:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6075831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lannisterslioness/pseuds/lannisterslioness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alderaan was usually a quiet coffee shop, some place where Rey would come in the early mornings before her shift down at the shop, or maybe as a mid-day pick me up if she got out of the shop early. A few months ago before summer kicked in, they had started having musical acts come down to attract more customers, and though the owner just so happened to be her Aunt Leia, she tried to avoid these packed nights as much as she could.</p><p>***</p><p>Based off a prompt I got from an anon! I finally got around to this Coffee Shop AU!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So I've had this coffee shop AU sitting around for a while. I was trying to think of some way to put a spin on it and make it a little more than just a coffee shop au and after watching Inside Llewyn Davis, I finally got the spark to start writing this! I hope you guys like it, this chapter just kinda sets it up for the rest of the fic, it'll more than likely be the only one with flashbacks in it, I hope you guys enjoy!

**_2 Years Ago_ **

 

    It was somewhere close to nine o’clock at night, every muscle in Rey’s body was aching from working in her father’s shop the entire day, she was covered in sweat and smelled like grease despite the quick change out of her coveralls before she left the shop. All she wanted to do was go home, shower, and curl up in bed; but thanks to a promise she had made to her best friend Finn yesterday as he dropped off his car at the shop, she had to pick him up from work first before she could do any of that. It wasn’t too bad, Finn didn’t live that far from where she lived, and the coffee shop where he worked was only two blocks away from her apartment as it was, however, as soon as Rey walked in the front doors and saw a completely packed coffee shop with dim lights and someone playing up on the stage in the corner of the shop - Rey just wanted to turn around and go home already. 

 

    “Please tell me you’re ready to leave.” Rey grumbled, walking right up to Finn as soon as the customer he was dealing with sat down with their coffee. 

 

    “It’ll take me a few more minutes, we got a lot more people in here tonight than usual.” Finn said. “You want a coffee?” 

 

    “Might as well.” Rey sighed. 

 

    Finn made her coffee just the way she liked it, with lots of creamer and lots of sugar and some hint of caramel in there somewhere, and she tried to hide somewhere in the back of the crowd while waiting for Finn to finish up his shift. Alderaan was usually a quiet coffee shop, some place where Rey would come in the early mornings before her shift down at the shop, or maybe as a mid-day pick me up if she got out of the shop early. A few months ago before summer kicked in, they had started having musical acts come down to attract more customers, and though the owner just so happened to be her Aunt Leia, she tried to avoid these packed nights as much as she could. Tonight they had some guy up there with his guitar, he was pretty good from what Rey listened to, and god, he was handsome as hell and he knew it, especially when he’d give a million watt smile to some girl sitting in the front rows who would practically faint when he did so. Sure, he was handsome, and talented to boot, but Rey couldn’t help but roll her eyes at how easily those girls fell for his charms. 

 

    He wasn’t on the stage much longer, maybe another song before he got off the stage and someone else for the girls to swoon over took his place. Rey leaned up against the back wall and let her eyes close for a moment, she didn’t know why Finn was taking so long, but she figured she might as well enjoy the music while she was here. When someone bumped into her shoulder however, her eyes snapped open and tried to figure out who was standing beside her now. 

 

    “Oh, god, I’m sorry.” The man beside her said and moved his guitar out of the way now that had bumped into her. “It’s so damn dark and crowded in here.” It was then that Rey realized it was the man who had been on the stage just a few moments ago. 

 

    “It’s fine.” Rey assured him, though she almost started to hate the fact that he was even more handsome up close - dark curled hair, brown eyes, and that smile despite the darkness was still enough to make Rey’s heart involuntarily skip a beat. 

 

    “You here for the show?” He asked curiously. 

 

    “No, I’m waiting for my friend, he’s in the back somewhere.” Rey gestured towards the counter and the door that lead to the back of the shop. “You were good though, from what I saw.” 

 

    “Thanks.” He nodded. “I’m Poe Dameron.” He held out his hand to her. 

 

    “Rey Skywalker.” She responded and shook his hand, not wanting to be rude and leave him hanging there like that. 

 

    “Nice to meet you Rey.” Poe gave her a smile, and Rey was sure that if Finn hadn’t shown up just then and there that she would have let the butterflies in her stomach take over. 

 

    “Ready to go, Rey?” Finn piped up and glanced over at Poe before looking back over at Rey in a confused way, wondering if he had to chase Poe off or leave it be. 

 

    “Yeah, let’s go. Nice meeting you Poe.” Rey said with a nod before walking off with Finn. 

 

* * *

 

**_1 Year Ago_ **

 

    Against her better judgment, Rey came back to Alderaan a few more times during their musical nights, looking for a certain dark haired man, sometimes she’d get lucky and he was there - the two often chatting once he was done performing; other times Rey would strike out and have to make up some odd excuse to Finn about just wanting a coffee and leaving as quickly as she could. Eventually it reached the point in their friendship where Poe started inviting Rey to wherever he was playing at any chance he could, and Rey would do her best to show up, even if she was dead on her feet from a day of working in the shop. Those nights led to long talks filled with laughter and perhaps a bit too much tequila in her system by the end of the night where Poe would have to hail Rey a cab and call her to make sure she got home alright. Then there was the night at The Cantina, the two still lingering long after Poe had performed, and Rey well on her way to a steady buzz while her cheeks were flushed a bright shade of red from all the laughing she’d been doing. 

 

    “You’re terrible, you really are.” Rey laughed out, she was leaning on Poe a bit now due to how much alcohol she had consumed, but he didn’t seem to mind as he wrapped his arm around her waist to help keep her steady at the bar. 

 

    “I can’t be that bad, you keep talking to me.” Poe smirked as he downed one of his shots in one smooth motion. Rey pushed her glass aside letting Poe know she had her fill and was doing just fine for the rest of the night. 

 

    “That’s true.” Rey giggled, her eyes flickering up towards Poe’s and her expression softening a bit, she was almost thankful that her cheeks were red already so he couldn’t tell that she was blushing. “Why do you spend all of your time with me? Don’t you have a long list of girls throwing themselves at you?” 

 

    “I like spending time with you, you aren’t afraid to be exactly who you are.” Poe stated. “And no, there’s no long list of girls, that’s all in your head.” He added with a laugh. 

 

    “I’m pretty sure I’ve seen more than a few girls who would like to go to bed with you.” Rey pointed out cheekily, her gaze wandering back over to the bar. 

 

    “I think it’s time you got home.” Poe smirked, pressing a kiss to Rey’s temple before getting off his barstool and keeping his hands on Rey’s back to help keep her steady. 

 

    Rey didn’t make a move to get off the barstool, instead she turned around in her chair and leaned forwards, kissing Poe without any warning and being greeted by his shock. He didn’t respond to the kiss, Rey pulling back looking a bit dejected, but once he realized what she had done, he leaned over and captured her lips, his hands cupping the side of her face and tasting the tequila on her tongue. They stayed like that for a moment, their tongues wrestling one another until they finally pulled apart to breathe - their chests heaving and a spark of something in the air between them that had never been there before in such a noticeable way. 

 

    “I don’t want to go home.” Rey whispered, only loud enough for Poe to hear in such close proximity above the cheering crowd and music going on behind them. 

 

    “You could, uh, come to my place, if you want.” Poe offered. 

 

    Rey smiled at him and nodded, Rey taking his arms to help steady herself as she rose from the barstool. Poe paid for their drinks, grabbed his guitar, let Rey wrap her arms around him, and walked out of The Cantina to his apartment where their growing friendship turned into something a bit different and a bit more complicated. 

 

* * *

 

**_Present Day_ **

 

    When Rey woke up to the sound of her alarm on her phone blaring in her ear in the morning, it always took her a moment to register where she was. She knew she wasn’t in her bed, the sheets were too soft and the bed was a bit too big, there was light pouring in from the opened shades and she was surrounded by the familiar scent of Poe that made her want to stay in bed all day. Once she could smell the coffee already brewing, she knew she was at Poe’s place again and that he needed to stop being such an early riser. Rey sat up in bed, stretching a bit before leaning over the edge and grabbing Poe’s shirt to throw on for now, she still had some time to get ready for work. The wooden floor beneath her feet was icy cold to the touch, something that happened in the summer in Poe’s building since both the heating and air conditioning worked far too efficiently compared to any other apartments Rey had been in. She slowly lowered her feet back down before treading quietly and carefully out of the room, attempting to sneak up behind Poe while he sat at the breakfast bar half asleep and sipping on his morning cup of coffee. 

 

    “You’re going to have to try harder than that.” Poe said without turning around, just as Rey was going to cover his eyes which she gave up with a sigh. 

 

    “You’re no fun sometimes, you know that?” Rey asked as she leaned up against the breakfast bar beside him. 

 

    “I know.” Poe admitted with a grin. “There’s coffee.” 

 

    “What do you think woke me up?” Rey asked cheerfully, making her way over to the machine and more than grateful to finally get some coffee past her lips to start the day. 

 

    “If you keep stealing my shirts, I’m not going to have any left to wear.” Poe teased. 

 

    “I’ll leave this one behind, I promise.” Rey said. “If I get anymore mysterious shirts I’m going to be getting questioned by my dad and my Uncle, I’d rather not face that.” 

 

    “They don’t seem so bad.” Poe answered with a shrug. 

 

    “Really? Then do you want to be the one to explain to them that we’ve been casually having sex for about a year?” Rey asked with a big grin, a laugh threatening to leave her lips. 

 

    “No, not really.” Poe laughed as Rey chimed in. 

 

    “Besides, I like things the way they are.” Rey gave a shrug and took a seat beside him. “Family makes things complicated, we promised each other nothing complicated.” 

 

    “I remember, I was there too you know.” Poe answered. 

 

    “Technically you were-” 

 

    “I know where I was, technically.” Poe cut her off, all Rey could do was smile in his direction, she liked getting a reaction out of him, it seemed like he didn’t react much, but he always expressed himself with her. 

  
    Rey pressed a kiss to his temple and couldn’t help but ruffle up his dark curls a bit before returning to her coffee, offering to make them both something before she went to work and Poe went back to writing his songs that he refused to let her listen to until they were done. They just had some eggs and bacon, something simple to start the day before Rey threw her clothes back on and left Poe’s shirt behind on his bed. They gave each other a quick and chaste kiss as she made her way out the door and things were simple between them - harmonious and simple - which was exactly what Rey wanted more than anything else in the world. But had Rey known that there were limited days left in their peaceful little bubble, she would have dragged out their morning just a little bit longer. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I just wanted to say for this note, thank you to everybody who comments not only on this fic, but just all of my fics, they're greatly appreciated and keep me writing. Love you guys! ;) 
> 
> P.S. If you want to listen to a song for while Poe is singing on stage, I recommend listening to Oscar Isaac actually sing The Measure of Things :3

    Rey sat inside of Alderaan, waiting for Poe to show up and sing, just as he did nearly Thursday night since they had become friends. Poe always seemed to have new songs to sings, and as always Rey was impressed by nearly every single one of them. He seemed a bit cheery tonight as he walked through the door, walking over to her and pressing a kiss to her forehead before taking a seat beside her, waiting for his time to head up on stage. 

 

    “What put you in such a good mood?” Rey asked with a bit of a laugh, eating a piece of the cookie she got before offering some of it up to Poe with a smile. 

 

    “I finished a new song today.” Poe grinned, taking a piece of the cookie before letting Rey eat the rest of it. 

 

    “A whole one?” Rey asked with enthusiasm. 

 

    “Yep.” Poe answered. 

 

    “How did you manage that?” Rey asked. “It usually takes you a while.” 

 

    “Inspiration struck I guess.” Poe gave her a sly grin before pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. 

 

    Rey felt a slight blush creep up her cheeks, Poe was always a flirt, he always made her weak in the knees even before they started sleeping together, he became especially good at it once sex was in the equation. They never really discussed out loud or with anyone what was going on between them, Finn seemed to assume they were actually a couple while no one else took notice. But Poe always got a rise out of her one way or another, even if they were in public. 

 

    “Well, I can’t wait to hear it.” Rey smiled back, tempted to lean in and steal a kiss, but just as she thought so, the other musician ended and it was Poe’s turn to head up on the stage. “Wait,” Rey said, getting up from her seat and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “That’s for luck.” 

 

    Poe just grinned in return and head up to the stage, getting ready to play his songs. Rey didn’t know what had gotten into Poe; he had his moods just like anyone else, but Poe was rarely chipper except for when he finished a good song or...well, after they were in bed together. Rey liked what she had with Poe, she liked being with him really, she could come and go as she pleased, they weren’t tied down to one another, it was nice. Leia always warned her of the day she’d fall in love and be past all this fear of people leaving her, when she’d find that one person she wanted to be with forever or who would fall in love with her and never leave her side. Poe wasn’t the commitment type either, he was a free spirited musician that had probably slept with more girls than Rey cared to really think about - they were safe when they were together and they were still the friends who could joke around - everything was perfect. 

 

    Poe sang as wonderfully as he always had, and strangely enough, instead of sorting through the crowds of girls, he head straight for Rey and gave her another kiss, except right on the lips, almost borderline making out if Rey hadn’t gingerly pushed him away with a vibrant red blush on his cheeks. 

 

    “We said not in public, remember.” Rey whispered to him, she was hoping to catch a wiff of alcohol on him or something, anything to explain his cheery and overly affectionate demeanor, but when she found nothing, Rey chalked it up to him just being particularly happy for finishing a song and that he was more than likely going to have her in his apartment all night again. 

 

    “I know, sorry, can’t help it.” He shrugged with a devilish grin that betrayed him. 

 

    Rey swatted at him playfully before giving in and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. She had plans to meet up with Finn once Poe was done, but the way his hands rested on her hips and how close he held her to him, he had other plans in mind. 

 

* * *

  
  


    It was a tangle of sheets and kisses, Rey pressed kisses to his skin with every chance she got, something to block out all the moans he was trying to get from her. It ended with the both of them lying breathless beside one another, a broad grin on Poe’s face as he pulled Rey close and pressed more kisses to her temple. 

 

    “What is up with you?” Rey asked with a giggle, tilting her head up to catch one of his kisses on her lips. 

 

    “Nothing.” Poe told her in an unconvincing tone. 

 

    “You’re lying.” Rey pointed out, and for a moment she was worried, until he flashed this bright smile down at her again. 

 

    “I’m just having a good day, that’s all.” Poe assured her and gave a simple shrug. “I finished a song in one day for the first time in, god, ages. And I’ve got a beautiful woman at my side.” 

 

    “Uh huh.” Rey said, sitting up in bed and pulling the sheets up closer to her chest, looking over at Poe in a questioning manner. “You’re up to something.” 

 

    “Why do I have to be up to something to have a good day?” Poe asked with a smirk. 

 

    “Because I know you.” Rey said with a laugh. “Whenever you’re in a really good mood, it means you’re up to something, usually something you try to keep a surprise.” 

 

    “It’s not a surprise, not really.” Poe mumbled. 

 

    “I knew it!” Rey exclaimed. “What are you up to?” 

 

    “It’s nothing really.” Poe sighed. “I just...how long have we been doing this?” Poe asked. 

 

    “What do you mean?” Rey asked a bit quizzically. 

 

    “I mean, how long have we been like this?” Poe gestured between them. 

 

    “Uh, like a year I suppose?” Rey wasn’t entirely sure how long she had been sleeping with Poe, it seemed all like a blur. “Why?” 

 

    “I’ve just been thinking that...well, since I haven’t been seeing anyone else and...I don’t know if you have-” 

 

    “I spend most of my days with cars and engines and grumpy old men.” Rey laughed.

 

    “Well, I know we said to keep this whole thing open or whatever but I’ve just been thinking...since we’re both not seeing anyone else and we, uh, enjoy each other’s company, that maybe we could just...make it between us.” Poe said, Rey could see the hesitation in him, he wasn’t sure of what he was saying exactly or if he was saying in the right way. 

 

    “You mean...date?” Rey asked as her stomach dropped. She wasn’t good with commitment, she was terrified of it. People came and went in her life before Luke took her under his wing and brought her into this loving family, before him she was on her own and terrified of letting anyone in. There were still times when she was hesitant to get too close to Luke, Leia, and Han, fearing one day they’d vanish on her just as her real family had. 

 

    “Yeah, date.” Poe said, sitting up beside Rey now and wrapping his arm around her waist and planting a kiss on her bare shoulder. 

 

    It was usually something Rey enjoyed, just sitting in bed with Poe, his calloused hands on her skin and the stubbled from his growing beard rubbing against her as he left a trail of kisses against her. Now it seemed to feel different, she liked the intimacy between them, she often found herself craving it when Poe wasn’t around, but it also left her terrified. She  _ liked _ someone, she missed them when they weren’t around, and someone like that having that great of an effect on her meant if they left - she’d feel just as scared and alone as she had when she was left as a little girl. Rey didn’t want Poe to leave her, she hated to admit it, but she wanted to just stay in this little bubble of whatever they had between them. It didn’t seem like she had much of a choice in this moment now, if she said no she was afraid Poe would shut her out, if she said yes, then things would be the same for a little while longer. 

 

    “Yeah...sure.” Rey nodded. “We could date.” 

 

    “Really? I know you have this whole commitment thing.” Poe mumbled, pressing more kisses to her shoulder. 

 

    “Sure, we’re already sleeping together, what’s a few dates.” Rey said, distracting Poe from kissing her shoulder and getting him to kiss her lips. 

  
    Rey tried her best to enjoy the kiss, to just enjoy this moment with Poe and forget about all the other stuff dating and being in a relationship entailed; communication, bonding, staying honest and open. All of that meant growing closer, and the closer someone got, the more afraid Rey was of losing them. Maybe she wouldn’t lose Poe, maybe he’d be the one who would stick around forever and never leave her side, or maybe he’d be the one who left her broken for good. The thought of the last option happening made Rey want to run and hide, but she had to at least try. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So we've reached the point of the real angst here, I hope you guys are ready because it actually hurt to write the ending of this chapter, I'm such a sucker for fluff that the angst nearly kills me!

    Dating seemed simple enough, Rey had gone on dates before, then again they were never anything serious; usually resulting in one night stands and hopes of never seeing the person ever again. With Poe it was already different from the moment she met him - she liked him - she liked when he smiled at her, or when he made her laugh, she liked his touch and how safe she felt around him. Poe managed to make her feel more things than she had ever felt before with anyone else, and that terrified her more than anything else in the entire world. She never dressed up for a date with Poe before, she never worried about how she looked or how the night was going to go with him; but now here she was, tugging at the hem of her red dress wondering if it was too short or too flashy for their date. 

 

    He didn’t tell her where he was taking her, just that he wanted to take her to dinner and a movie like any other normal couple would do. She’d never thought that she would refer to her and Poe as a couple, she never thought she’d be with anyone in that capacity really. When she heard someone knock at her apartment door, she knew it was Poe, right on time as he promised, and she was nervous beyond all belief. She grabbed her purse off the table by the door and slowly pulled the door open, biting on her bottom lip and waiting for some sort of reaction from Poe. She was relieved to see that he was dressed up too, but despite being together for a while, Rey suddenly found herself feeling a bit bare in her sleeveless dress in front of him. 

 

    “You look beautiful.” Poe gave her a grin before pressing a kiss to her cheek, Rey didn’t know why it felt foreign to her, it wasn’t anything new, he kissed her all the time just about anywhere he could. 

 

    “You don’t look so bad yourself.” Rey gave him a bit of a nervous smile, hoping he wouldn’t notice, and for the most part he seemed not to. 

 

    “Ready to go?” He asked her. 

 

    “Yeah.” Rey nodded, making sure she had everything in her purse before walking out the door with Poe, his arm around her waist, and her heart beating a little too quickly. 

 

* * *

  
  


    Poe brought her home that night and left her with a kiss at the door, just like a proper gentleman, and like that he was gone. Rey was left with her back against her front door and wondering even more about the possibility of a future between her and Poe. Poe had been around her longer than any other man she’d let into her life in a romantic way, they were just having sex and  _ he _ was the one to ask for more, he wanted more than just casual sex and Rey couldn’t quite understand that. It wasn’t even late when Poe got her back home, it was ten o’clock at night and there was only one person Rey could think of to tell all of this to, her only friend that was outright honest with her at all times. 

 

    Rey changed out of her dress, threw on some sweatpants and a t-shirt, and grabbed her keys, heading down to Alderaan and seeing if she could catch Finn on his break. 

 

* * *

  
  


    Rey sat out in the back of the coffee shop with Finn at her side, a hot chocolate in her hand and Finn enjoying the slight escape from the smell of coffee and the constant chatter of people. 

 

    “What’s with all the night shifts lately?” Rey asked curiously, trying to ease into the conversation she wanted to bring up. 

 

    “New class schedule.” Finn replied with a yawn. “Where have you been? You haven’t stopped by here since Poe performed a week ago.” 

 

    “Yeah,” Rey nodded and figured now was as good a time as any. “Poe asked me out on a date, we went out tonight actually.” 

 

    “Then what are you doing here?” Finn asked with a laugh as he looked over at her. “You two are usually...busy most nights.” 

 

    While Rey nor Poe had ever told Finn what they were, Finn seemed to piece it together fairly quickly that they were sleeping together. He must have assumed that they were dating the whole entire time since Rey never brought up her commitment issues with Finn, he was just her friend, there was never any need for all of that. 

 

    “This was our first real date, Poe just brought me home and I had to get out of the apartment.” Rey sighed. 

 

    “So...what’s wrong then? You two have been inseparable for a year and now one date and you look like you want to head for the hills.” Finn observed. 

 

    “It’s different...Poe is just different.” Rey answered simply. 

 

    “Sounds like you love him.” Finn said. 

 

    “What?” Rey asked in shock. 

 

    “It does to me! You two have been joined at the hip for the past year and now you go on a date and get this nervous, you only get nervous like this when you care about something. I’m your friend Rey, I do notice things occasionally, like you only get nervous when you're afraid that something you care about will go terribly wrong. If you care about Poe enough to get nervous about a date, it sounds like you love him.” Finn explained as if it were as plain as day. 

 

    Rey thought about it for a moment, she did care about Poe, and when she cared about something so much, she had a tendency of letting her nerves get the better of her. The thought of that she may have been in love with Poe so deeply made her even more nervous than she had been before. 

 

    “I don’t know if I love him.” Rey mumbled. She truly didn’t know, she had never been in love with someone before to know, or at least she never allowed herself to fall in love. 

 

    “You don’t know or you don’t want to know?” Finn pressed. 

 

    Rey stayed silent, she didn’t want to know, if she let herself admit that she may have been in love with Poe, that would be it. She had never been in love, she didn’t know what happened when you fell in love, and Luke certainly wasn’t an example for her to follow since the only woman he claimed he ever loved died tragically. Rey figured it was easier to be alone like Luke, to just worry about yourself and never have to worry about anyone else. 

 

    “I don’t know what I’m doing.” Rey admitted with a sigh. 

 

    “It sounds like Poe wants to be with you, and it sounds like you are afraid of that. Maybe you shouldn’t be afraid for once Rey, I know you, you are the bravest person I know. But it’s your choice.” Finn said. 

 

    “Yeah.” Rey nodded. “I’m gonna go home, I’ll see you tomorrow or something.”

 

    “Alright.” Finn nodded. “See you tomorrow.” 

 

* * *

  
  


    Poe hadn’t heard from Rey for a week; she didn’t answer his calls or his texts, she never answered the door, and whenever he tried to find her at Luke’s shop or the coffee house, it was either “you just missed her” or “she hasn’t been here yet”. He was starting to get worried, until he visited her apartment yet again, this time before he was on his way home to go to bed, and was surprised when Rey actually answered. 

 

    “Rey, god, where have you been? Is everything okay? Are you alright?” Poe wanted to ask her a flurry of even more questions, but as it was Rey seemed like she was out of it - dark circles under her eyes and looking a bit pale, she almost looked sick. 

 

    “I’m fine.” Rey assured him. 

 

    “You don’t look like it, you look sick.” Poe said. 

 

    “I haven’t been sleeping.” Rey replied meekly. “I, uh, I wanted to talk to you.” 

 

    “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for a week.” Poe said, starting to wonder why Rey was keeping him at the door, she would have always let him in by now unless there was something wrong. 

 

    “I didn’t know how to say it until now.” Rey looked down before looking back up at him, her eyes were red and she looked more upset than Poe had ever seen her. “I don’t think...I don’t think that we should see each other any more. We’re too close, I care about you too much, and if I let this go on, it’s only going to hurt even more then than it does now when we break up.” 

 

    “You want to break up because you care about me?” Poe asked in a bit of disbelief, he knew Rey was terrified of being close to people, but he didn’t know just how much until now. “Because you think we’ll break up later?” 

 

    “You’ll get bored of me!” Rey protested a bit louder than she had wanted to. “You told me about all the girls before, remember? You said you didn’t like being tied down and that’s why I liked you. Now we’re...dating and...I just don’t want it to end badly. I’m sorry.” 

 

    Poe wanted to protest, he wanted to argue that Rey was different, that he was falling in love with her, that he never felt like this about another girl in his life, that he wanted to stay with her for as long as he humanly could. He even wanted to bring up the times he spent by himself, thinking about a future with her, thinking about moving in together and maybe even marrying her later on. But Rey made her choice, it killed him, but she made her choice; she wanted all of this to stop before emotions got involved, though he hated to tell her that emotions were already involved for both of them. 

 

    “Okay.” Poe answered plainly, he didn’t want her to see the pain on his face, she had enough pain she was dealing with on her own from what he could tell. “I’ll just...I’ll see you around then.” Poe nodded and walked off. Rey didn’t call out or take back her choice, that wasn’t who she was, but what he didn’t expect was just how hurt he felt once he heard her door close and how desperately he just wanted to drink the pain away. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm a sucker, that's all I can say, I couldn't keep these two apart for very long :P Either way, I hope you guys enjoy!! ;)

    Poe had a life before Rey, and he figured since she had made her choice that he could go right back to it. They had only one real date, it should have been easy, but feelings were shared long before that date, among other things, and without Rey life had turned dark. He used to be a drinker before he met Rey, spending most of his time in bars if he didn’t have a gig somewhere else, and with Rey gone, he found himself there again - drinking until the lack of Rey’s presence didn’t hurt that badly. All it left him with was stumbling his way home and hangovers that hurt so much he wished he was dead instead of still breathing. 

 

    He was in his living room now, waking up from being passed out face down on the couch, cell phone in hand and deciding whether or not he would call Rey for the hundredth time this week. He missed her, but there really weren’t words to say to express just how much he had missed her, he couldn’t even find the words in a song - he hadn’t written any songs since Rey left his life to be exact. Instead, Poe tossed the phone aside, groaning in misery as he laid his head back down and hoped that when he’d wake up later, it would be slightly less painful. 

 

* * *

  
  


    When Rey wasn’t working, she spent her days at home, unless Finn had dragged her down to the coffee shop to drink a silent cup of hot chocolate before returning home and going to sleep. She had become a shell of what she was, but she told herself that she’d get better, that she had done the right thing sparing her and Poe real pain, though she had to admit this pain felt more real than she ever expected. Everyday of her life for the past year used to be consumed by Poe; she would think about his laugh, his smile, the way he’d kiss her, the way his hands roved up and down her body, the way he had sex with her - no, made  _ love _ to her. Rey didn’t want to fall in love, she was never any good at it, but she had fallen in love with Poe, that’s what made her break both of their hearts, she loved him, and with love brought pain, pain she liked to imagine would be far worse than what she was already going through. 

 

    But she never brought herself to deleting all her texts from Poe, the ones filled with love notes and lyrics to future songs that he’d say were all inspired by her. She couldn’t erase the pictures of them together or the silly videos she took, she couldn’t just wipe all of those memories off her phone and pretend he never existed. She’d thought about calling him more than she cared to admit, sometimes she’d play one of the videos in the middle of the night just to hear his voice. Rey was miserable, she felt like she was slowly slipping away into nothing, but she had to endure all this pain, it’d be over soon - wouldn’t it? 

 

* * *

  
  


    There was a loud pounding on Poe’s door in the late afternoon, he was still pulling himself out of his drunken haze from the night before when the pounding wouldn’t stop. He grabbed his pants and pulled them on along with a shirt, heading towards the front door with a groan. 

 

    “Alright, alright, hold on.” Poe grumbled as he opened up the door and was surprised to see Finn standing there, who quickly pushed his way past him and into the apartment. “Finn, what the hell?” 

 

    “You’re seriously going through with this whole ‘ _ poor me, let me drink myself into oblivion _ ’ thing?” Finn snapped. 

 

    “...What are you talking about?” Poe asked. 

 

    “Let me just make this clear then,” Finn sighed. “Rey is miserable without you, you are clearly miserable without her, my friend Jess who works down at the Cantina called me this morning saying you were barely able to stand up when you left there last night, mumbling to her all night about how you missed Rey but you’re not doing a damn thing about it other than down a bottle of whiskey every night.”  

 

    “You don’t get it-” 

 

    “I get it, I’ve known Rey a lot longer than you. She’s terrified of getting close to people, she was scared to let Luke, Leia, and Han in, but they kept pushing; she was scared to let me in, but I kept pushing; now she’s scared to let you in and you just walk away?” Finn asked. “Look at yourself, you look like a half dead grizzly bear with that damn beard!” 

 

    “Yeah.” Poe mumbled, rubbing his chin now and knowing he was due for a shave. “Look, what am I supposed to do? She dumped me. I don’t want to push Rey, she just closes herself off.” 

 

    “You  _ have _ to push Rey, that’s how she is. She’s as stubborn as a damn bull and never had anyone care about her before Luke took her in and I became her friend. She’s not used to being wanted, she thinks she’s a burden or a problem. You have to show her how you really feel. Yeah, she might try to push you away, she did that to me for a day, but you have to keep pushing, she needs to see that you actually care, she needs to know that you just won’t up and leave, and right now all you’re doing is proving her right, that you would leave.” Finn explained. 

 

    “I can’t just call her up, she wouldn’t answer my calls.” Poe said. 

 

    “Do you want her back?” Finn asked. “I seriously have to know, because if I go through with this and you screw it up Dameron, I’m gonna be pissed.” 

 

    “Yes, I want her back, I want Rey back more than anything in the galaxy.” Poe said. 

 

    Finn studied Poe for a moment, seeing the desperation and sadness in his eyes, he looked just about like Rey did lately, like a shell of who he used to be, like he hadn’t smiled or known joy in years instead of weeks. 

 

    “Okay.” Finn sighed. “I bring Rey out on Wednesday nights, she doesn’t like the music anymore, which is understandable I guess. But I bring her down to the show around 8, sit with her for twenty minutes drinking coffee, and then she runs back home. Come down to the shop at 8, talk to her, just...do something to win her back, because you two look like the walking dead without one another.” 

 

    “I will, I promise.” Poe’s face lit up as he brought Finn into a tight hug and Finn hugged him back. “Thanks, buddy.” 

 

    “Don’t screw this up.” Finn warned as he pulled away. 

 

* * *

  
  


    Poe was nervous, he was practically shaking as he sat in the back of the coffee shop, hoping that Rey wouldn’t see him and bolt away before he even had the chance to say a word. As soon as Finn walked in with Rey at his side, he could see what he meant - Rey looked paler, almost like she was sick, and the dark gray sweater she wore was hanging on her making her look so small and frail. He wanted to just wrap her up and tell her that everything was going to be alright, but he was the cause of that pain she was in, and something told him that no amount of sweet promises would fix what he had done. 

 

    Finn and Rey sat and talked, Poe watched and tried to run through all of the things he wanted to say; when he noticed Rey was finishing her hot chocolate, he walked over and hoped that his courage would pay off right now. 

 

    “Poe, what are you doing here?” Rey blurted out first, she wasn’t angry or sad or much of anything, she was just blank as she spoke. 

 

    “I wanted to talk to you.” Poe said. “If that’s okay.” 

 

    Finn nodded and rose from his seat without a word, Rey glared at him knowing he had called Poe here so they could talk, but with a sigh she shifted her gaze over to Poe, and whatever anger she held towards Finn slowly melted away as she stared at him. 

 

    “I shouldn’t have just rolled over when you wanted to break up, I wanted to respect your choice, and I still do, it’s your call. But these past few weeks without you...I’d rather die than go through that pain again. No one in my entire life has made me feel even a fraction of what you’ve made me feel in the past year. I know you wanted to break up to avoid getting caught up in our feelings but...it’s too late. I’m in love with you, and I’m still in love with you, I know I’m in love because I wouldn’t feel like this without you if I wasn’t. I don’t want us to be apart Rey, I want to be with you, and I know you’re scared, I’m scared too, I’ve never loved someone like this but...I think if we just give it a shot, we won’t regret it.” Poe rushed everything out, he wanted to say it while he had the courage to say it. 

 

    Rey sat there silent, she nodded, letting the words sink in, she reached over and took his hand, entwining her fingers with his. “Prove it.” She stated. 

 

    “...Prove what?” 

 

    “Prove that you love me.” Rey repeated as she leaned in a bit closer. “Like you used to.” 

 

    If she hadn’t pressed a small kiss to his lips, he wouldn’t have known what she was talking about, but as soon as she did, it clicked. He never said he loved her until that moment, he only ever told her he loved her through making love to her, and she knew it too. It was how they got together in the first place, Poe figured it only made sense that it was how they would make up as well. Poe smiled  a bit and rose from his seat, holding onto her hand the entire time and helping her out of her own chair. 

 

    “Let’s go back to my place then.” Poe suggested, and for the first time that night Rey cracked a smile and almost looked like her old self again. 

  
    Poe swore he could have caught glimpse of Finn smiling and giving him a thumbs up as they walked out of the coffee house hand in hand. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So here we are yet again, at the end of another fic and yes, there is a happy ending for these huge dorks! This ending kinda came out of nowhere, I wasn't sure how I was going to end this fic until I thought up this adorable little ending right here. I hope you guys enjoy it, and I hope that you've enjoyed this fic, and off I go to the next one!

**1 Year Later**

 

    A lot had changed in a year for both Poe and Rey, they had their ups and downs just as any other couple, but they never had huge fights, minor spats here and there, but who didn’t? But they made sure to never part from one another ever again as they had before, because at the end of the day they still loved each other more than anything in the word. That was another thing that had changed, they loved each other without fear, they didn’t worry about the other up and leaving, they just loved and shared themselves openly. 

 

    It took Rey some time to adjust to how things were now compared to how they used to be, but eventually she adapted, and thanks to Poe’s persistence, she never gave up or felt the need to run. Rey liked how things were going, but she knew things would change again, and they changed the way she expected, though it still caught her off guard. At first she moved in, a natural part of the relationship, then the sex changed and became more about taking their time and savoring every moment instead of trying just to get one another off. Then Poe became more loving than he had before, surprising her with little things here and there, kissing her more often, embracing her and just enjoying holding her, and then she found the box. 

 

    The box was in his sock drawer of all places, Poe went to grab them something to eat one night and Rey was folding their laundry when she stumbled upon the diamond ring under a pair of socks. It was simple but beautiful, something she actually would have picked herself, and it made her wonder if he just knew her that well of if he had someone help him pick it out. She tried it on just to see how it felt, and it was a perfect fit, and it felt right on her hand which she supposed was the most important part, that it felt right to think about marrying Poe. She stuffed it back in the drawer once she heard the door open, quickly folding his socks and stuffing them in there as well, moving on to the things that hung in the closet to make it look as if she were never near it. The whole night Rey wondered when he planned on proposing, where he planned on doing so, how he was going to ask; all things she knew she had to wait to receive the answer for. 

 

    When they were lying in bed that night, covered in a thin layer of sweat and tangled up in each other after being so close and just wanting to be closer, Rey just kept thinking, and Poe seemed to notice. 

 

    “What’s on your mind?” Poe asked curiously, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as she looked up towards him, a smile on his face as always, he smiled every night she was with him and she hoped she’d get to see that smile every day for the rest of her life. 

 

    “Nothing really.” Rey shrugged, tracing the muscles of Poe’s arm before wandering down to his calloused hands from years of guitar playing. 

 

    “Uh huh.” Poe said, she could tell he didn’t believe her. 

 

    “It’s nothing, I swear.” Rey giggled and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Just daydreaming is all.” 

 

    “Daydreaming about what?” Poe asked, leaning down to sneak a few kisses in on her neck; he always did this when he wanted an answer, he knew her weak spot and right where to kiss, getting a moan out of her in the process. 

 

    “Just...the future.” Rey admitted with a sigh. 

 

    “Mhmm.” Poe’s mumbled vibrated against her throat, causing another moan to escape, he was relentless in his search for answers and Rey knew if she didn’t give up he’d find some other way to torture her, keep her teetering right on the edge of pleasure until it was too much. 

 

    “I saw the ring.” Rey huffed, Poe parting with one last kiss to the sensitive spot on her throat. “When I was putting laundry away I saw it and...I was just thinking about our future.” 

 

    “Our future? So that means if I asked, you’d say yes?” Poe questioned. 

 

    “Well, yeah.” Rey said. “I don’t want to spend a day without you ever again, of course I’d say yes.” 

 

    With that Poe got out of bed, not caring for his lack of clothing, not that it wasn’t anything Rey hadn’t seen before. He went right to the sock drawer and pulled out the box, holding it with him until he got back under the cover, Rey sitting up with just the sheets covering her chest and looking at him. 

 

    “Poe, if you were saving that for something special, I’ll wait.” Rey grinned. 

 

    “I was saving it for the right moment. I thought maybe at Alderaan where we first met, or maybe at the bar where we first started all of this, but I took you to all those places this week and it didn’t feel like the right time until right now.” Poe said. “I guess I thought you’d say no, and I didn’t want to ask until I knew you’d say yes...sort of defeats the purpose I suppose.” 

 

    Rey laughed and cupped his face in her hands, pressing a kiss perfectly on his nose and noticing the slight blush he gave off in the dim light that came into their room from the windows. 

 

    “You’re a dork, a very big dork, and I love you for that reason.” Rey giggled. “Go ahead then.” 

 

    “Go ahead with what?” Poe asked in a confused manner. 

 

    “Surely you had a speech planned didn’t you? For asking me to marry you? I want to hear it.” Rey gathered up the sheets so she could turn to face him, eagerly waiting to hear what he had to say. 

 

    “Alright, alright.” Poe smirked and made sure he was looking directly at her as well, taking the ring out of the box and holding it in his hands while the box got lost somewhere in their sheets. “Rey, from the moment I saw you two years ago, you took my breath away. You were...not to sound too cheesy, but like a ray of hope in some of my darker times.” 

 

    “It’s kinda cheesy but I love it.” Rey whispered with a grin which only caused Poe’s smile to grow wider. 

 

    “I knew I had feelings for you after I met you again and just talked to you, it was almost as if we knew each other our whole lives and were picking up on a conversation we left off. It was like that every time we were together. Then I remember the day you wore this bright red dress with lipstick to match, it was cut out all the way down your back and I had to fight every instinct in my body to keep my hand off you. That happened to be the night we went from being friends to more than friends.” Poe said. 

 

    “I sort of wish that dress hadn’t gotten ruined now, you still owe me a new dress for that by the way.” Rey giggled. 

 

    “And I promise I will get you one this weekend now that you mention it.” Poe laughed. “What I’m trying to say is, I’ve been in love you for as long as I can remember, and I’d like to keep falling in love with you every single day for the rest of my life, if that’s alright with you. Which is why I ask, Rey, will you marry me?” 

 

    “Yes, yes, and a thousand times yes.” Rey grinned as she practically leapt into his lap and pressed kiss after kiss to his lips, neck, chest, and anything she could reach. 

 

    Rey felt safe, perhaps for the first time in her life, when Poe held on to her she knew it was forever, he wasn’t going to let go unless someone pried his hands off of her, and even then he’d find a way to hold her again. It took her a while to realize that Poe was the one who wouldn’t run away, then again it always took her a while to realize that the people in her life now had no intentions of ever leaving her side. 

 

    “You know, you do have to actually put the ring on for it to be official.” Poe laughed, interrupting her barrage of kisses by slowly pulling back and holding the ring up in front of her. 

 

    “Oh, right.” Rey smiled and slightly blushed, she had forgotten entirely about the ring, but then again it wasn’t the most important thing in the world to her - Poe was. 

  
    It fit on her finger just as perfectly as it had earlier in the night, but somehow it felt like it belonged even more than it had before; she figured it had something to do with letting him actually propose to her instead of her just stumbling upon it. Once it was on she redirected her attention back to her soon  to be husband and kissed every inch of him she could get her hands on. She was happy, truly happy, and it was all thanks to the man wrapped up in her arms who refused to leave her side. 


End file.
